FWP Announces opportunity to cost-share CRP seed mixes

Fish & Wildlife
- Region 7

Tue Jul 02 11:10:00 MDT 2013

MILES CITY, Mont--Through the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering a cost-share opportunity in 17 counties to assist agricultural producers who enroll private and State Trust lands in the federal Conservation Reserve Program. Five of the eligible counties are in southeastern Montana.
Enrollment into the FWP program will be competitively awarded to landowners who are reseeding new CRP that is beneficial to wildlife and who agree to:
• allow free public upland game bird hunting
• adhere to all of the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) mandatory maintenance activity obligations
• apart from FSA’s required maintenance activities, no additional haying or grazing on enrolled properties while enrolled in the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program
• post program signs on enrolled property to identify boundaries
• FWP’s annual publication of enrolled tracts in a hunting access guide.
Producers improve their CRP ranking by planting high-scoring seed mixtures that provide the greatest benefit to wildlife. These seed mixes consist of a larger number of native grasses and forbs which are more costly to the producer.
Eligible producers may receive up to a 35% cost-share for seed mixes that contain a minimum of three native grasses plus one forb or legume, but no more that $20 per acre. Producers may receive up to $10,000 in seed cost-share in 2013. The counties eligible for FWP’s cost-share program are: Cascade, Chouteau, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Glacier, McCone, Pondera, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Teton, Toole, Valley and Wibaux.
For more program information and an online application form, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov and click on the CRP Seed Cost-share link. To be considered, applications must be mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Wildlife Division; P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT 59620. There is no deadline to apply.
For more information, contact Debbie Hohler at 406-444-5674, or by email to dhohler@mt.gov.